Monday, March 30, 2009

Last week on Monday when I showed you my crochet hot pad collection, I decided to save these vintage hot pads that are machine & hand sewn for this week.

I love these because they show how getting creative with just a few scraps of fabric & floss can result in a charming & useful item! It's so fun to see all of the different fabrics and shapes used.Our grandmas used alot of patterns in magazines and also traded them back and forth as we still do today.

For those of you who have seen my "Grandma's Kitchen " quilt, you remember that I did a block with 4 hot pads in it. For those of you who havn't, click on the link that lists my patterns to the right.I just love how it was important to these woman to have creativity in thier lives and also have adorable kitchens even down to the hot pads! Back then, hot pads were hung on the wall for decoration as well as being useful. Most of these have hanging loops or rings.

Look at these cute children. Don't you just love the gingham:) They look like they are fresh off the farm! I'm sure that they just finished a long day of helping thier Dad haul hay or herd the sheep, (that's what my brothers & sisters and I did) and now they're all cleaned up with a dime in thier pockets. They're going to walk into town and get some penny candy at the Mercantile.

This tulip is striking to me because of the simple pattern. I like the solid paired with a print as they so often did.

I also like the bias tape that they also used alot for trim. It was readily available in a variety of colors and was a nice way to finish the edges of many kitchen projects (including aprons of course:)

Then the creative maker decided to do handstitching around the edges-cute!

I bought this one because it looks like it maybe could have been a childs project and she begged for scraps from her mother. Yes, I know that I always put a story together in my mind - Is that weird? It could have happened just that way...I'm just sayin:)

This one cracked me up. It also came with alot of questions like;

Was this only for Sunday use or was the makers husband a business man who wore a tie to work every day - if so, would it really be a pink floral one?

Where is the dress for a matching set? (you know me, I think in "couples").

Maybe the man of the house was the cook or liked to BBQ and this was made for him by his loving daughter.

Was he a bachelor and his sister made it for him because she was concerned about him and his kitchen decor? Well, I guess I'll never find out, but I know is that it's cute and I love it.

What a cute and adorable bunny! It's an oven mitt and very cleverly made I must say. Another print and solid pairing and I love the pom-pom eyes.

I'm guessing that it probably doubled as a hand puppet to entertain a fussy baby while "mama" was getting dinner on the table. (No doubt that dinner was a delicious cassorole in a pyrex dish, yellow I think).

Well, if you know me at all, you know why I fell in love with this one. It's red and it's a chicken, there's nothing more to say. I'm crazy about both:)

It's made using some kind of upholstery fabric with a really cool texture. The maker used wool for the comb and beak and then 2 little red buttons for the eyes. Adorable!

I call her "the little red hen" (I know, how original:)

Well, would you just look at these sisters:) The red headed younger sister has said something to disgust her older sister who is rolling her eyes at her much younger and immature little sister.

Well, it doesn't seem to bother Sally,(I decided that's her name) she just continues to annoy.

Can you tell that I've had alot of experience being the younger sis? I have 3 older sisters and that's how I know these things.

This one isn't a hot pad at all. It hangs on the wall and holds them. How nice:) I just couldn't resist the embroidery and the cute floral ruffle along the edge with red bias tape trim.

This is another one that I picked up that isn't a pot holder. It opens at the top, so it's like a bag. I guess they could have used it to hold napkins or something.

I think the fabric is adorable - again, another print and solid together- I love it. Can you tell I really like the clothing theme? It's like doll clothes in the kitchen.

I really should have pressed it before I took the picture. I know my Mother is shaking her head and saying "tsk,tsk" - and then I'm saying "sorry Mom...I'll do it after I roller skate".

This is a cute little butterfly hot pad that has been well used and well loved. It's pretty small so I think it was made for a child to use in her play kitchen or to help her Mom with the baking. The floral is sweet:)

I love these so much that I am in the process of making some of these along with some other ideas for hot-pads in a pattern.

What do you think? Is that a good idea- or am I the only one out there who find these hot pads charming enough to reproduce?

Should I just make them for me or do you think others would like to make them as well?

Advice would be appreciated.

There are so many repro fabrics to play with, the possibilities for these are endless and I think it would be so fun!

Here is the butterfly hot-pad that I remade. I drew it bigger to fit my hands and used a different fabric on the inside. I also added a hanging loop at the top.

Here's the top view. I didn't have time to throw it in the wash to get it all shrinky and cute because I wanted to get this posted. (maybe I'll do it after I roller skate a bit -haha!)

I'm thinking that my Moms could use some new-old hotpads for Mothers Day.Tell me what you all think:)

Friday, March 27, 2009

Here are thepromised pictures from Clothesline Club that I went to on Tuesday. These are pictures of the show and tell part of our meeting. I'm just going to show you all of them, making it more "show" than "tell".

I hope you enjoyed all the photos! We really have a good time getting together and playing with 1930's fabrics. The picture above shows just a few of the large selection at Quilts Etc.

Everyone in the club is so enjoyable and talented:)

I just love Sandra who teaches the club - she brings so much energy and lots of fun every meeting.

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Yesterday I went to Quilts Etc. in Sandy for Clothesline Club and my Family Reunion applique club.(pictures to come soon).I saw an apron displayed on the wall and loved the fabric and the cut of the apron so I picked up the pattern, bought the same fabric (except in red), came home and stitched it up! It took me about 3 hours and yeah!!!-new apron.

Here is how it ties in the back. The pattern is byFresh Cut Quilts- the same as the pincushion I made for my giveaway. It was so fun to start and finish a project in one evening, I really should do it more often:) Do you like the fabric as much as I do? I love the all of the vintage looking tea cups and teapots with cherries inbetween. My new apron fits into my old kitchen perfectly!

Speaking of vintage looking fabric - I've been meaning to show you some of my feedsack fabric that I bought from Glennaover at Hollyhock Quilts. These are the real thing cut into 6" squares. I bought 100 of them from her with no repeats. Thanks Glenna, I just love them. They're all so different and will add alot to my projects.

I had picked up Glenna's new book a while back before I knew who she was. Now I'm happy to have made the connection! I really love the book:) It has alot of information on feedsacks and lots of really cute projects. I highly recommend it to all of you vintage fabric lovers out there!

This is just one of the many projects that I have going on using an old and new fabric mix. It's going to be fun to add some of my new/old fabric in this quilt. I'll show you more of this later as I get closer to completion...

Monday, March 23, 2009

As you all know by now I like to take a day now and then to go "hunting" for treasures. I have been doing this for too many years to mention! It's always so exciting to find something that makes my heart sing. Well, crochet hot pads really do the trick. I just love them. Today I thought that I would share with you some of my favorites.

I especially have a fondness for all things "Him & Her" or "Mr & Mrs" I guess you could call it the romantic in me. My heart skips a beat when I see matching ones that have obviously been made by the same loving hands.

Look how cute these couples are! There are a few singles that I have found here and there and brought home to the couples. I prefer to think of them as their adopted children.

Look at the cute little red dress with matching panties that I found together at a thrift store. No doubt that a very modest woman was concerned about just stopping with the dress:)

I find it very endearing that these wonderfuly creative ladies from the past would crochet something as whimsical or dare I say contraversial as matching underwear!

Here are a few that I think are unique for some reason or other. All of the hot-pads that I choose to bring home are well made. ( I know I'm very picky).

I have a particular interest in the grape trivet. I like how old pop bottle caps have been used for the grapes. They have simply crocheted around them and joined them together to create a cluster, then added crochet leaves. I remember seeing these and many others like the ones in my collection in my Grandmas and Great Aunts homes when I was a girl.

I think the baskets are so feminine don't you? Maybe they found patterns for them in magazines during Easter or Mothers Day. I don't think the basket with the roses on it is a hot pad- it opens and probably held napkins.

The owl is a hoot! ( no pun intended :)

I really like the bright pink one that looks like a soccer ball.

The three yellow ones are sweet and very unique. They look hard to make.

I put some round ones together to photograph for you. Round seems to be the most common shape in crochet hot-pads, I see them the most. However there are so many different variations on patterns that I think they are as beautiful and individual as a snowflake.

When it comes to crochet hot-pads, my taste is usually for white or cream with only one other color in the pattern. I really like the contrast between the two and I think that allows the pattern to really shine. When they are grouped together and hanging on my kitchen wall, they look like a piece of art.

I did bring home the matching circles with verigated thread. I really do like them- maybe because there is alot of white to seperate the colors that Iove l so well.

Also take notice of the one at the top in the center of the photo. This wonderful stitcher inserted ric-rac as she crocheted. She used all different colors for a patchwork effect. She probably used up her leftover ric-rac, you know "waste not want not" and all that. I didn't think twice about bringing this one home! As you all know, I LOVE ric-rac and have quite a large collection of the vintage kind. Maybe I'll show it to you sometime on another vintage Monday.

Here we have a few square ones. I love the roses in the middle of the matching set. I did find them all together and have come across many in this pattern but I really liked the "triplets" and brought them home. They are made with an expert hand.

I am partial to red and white kitchen things and I especially love the set that looks like a basket weave pattern. They are in excellent condition, I don't think they have ever been used. Alot of the ones that I've picked up have not.

Look at the cute red one in the bottom righthand corner.

I like how the maker embellished her hot-pad with embroidery. How clever!

I hope you have enjoyed this weeks "Vintage Monday" - any comments will be appreciated!

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About the Queen Bee...

You can find me most often in my studio drawing for my next fabric line or creating designs for my pattern company established in 1994 called "Bee in my Bonnet" I'm a small town girl who loves everything vintage.

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The name and pattern line"BEE IN MY BONNET" was established in 1994 by Lori Holt - All rights reserved. Please do not use my original photos unless you add a link directly back to my blog and give me full credit. Please email me with any other questions.Thank you!beeinmybonnet1@yahoo.com